Beginning of the End
by fablazer
Summary: Ellis is separated from his friends and runs into a young woman who is going through a similar problem. However, Ellis soon finds himself falling for her. Will Zoey ever reciprocate his feelings? Will she stick around long enough to find out about them? Zellis Centric. Rated T for now but it might change due to later sexual themes. Minor Language
1. Chapter 1

_So I decided to do a series, after much thinking. I was thinking of writing more oneshots but I had an idea for a series and it won me over._

 _Always wanted to do a series, but I never had the time. But now, I have a plot figured out and now I'm actually very excited to write it!_

 _It's gonna be from the perspectives of Ellis and Zoey, but maybe a few others too. Maybe._

 _It's set in the countryside outside of Rayford, shall we say? Oh, and the two groups have never met each other or anything like that._

 _Anyway, enough talking. Let's get right into it, shall we? Please R &R. Much love, my darlings!_

 **Chapter 1**

 _"Run!"_

I looked back at Nick, who was firing his rifle desperately at the tank. I heard his yell, but my body didn't co-operate with his orders. I froze to the spot, just gawking hopelessly at the scene. The cornfield had caught ablaze from Rochelle's molotov and it was hastily spreading behind me. I don't even know where Coach or Rochelle are, I was swatted like a fly by the muscle massed beast and I awoke with Nick standing over me, pulling me to my feet, the other two nowhere in sight.

I stumbled clumsily, everything appearing shaky. The continuous volley of shots beside me and the roar of the tank made everything else seem blurry. I felt disorientated and lost, not knowing what to do. Complete mayhem surrounded me and I was stuck in the middle of it all, bewildered and semi-conscience.

"Ellis! Go _!"_

With the second time of asking, my legs began to carry me through the stalks of corn, not even attempting to swat them out of the way. I just let them hit me as I stumbled through the crop field. The gunshots began to sound more distant as I broke into a sprint. I had to run. I had to get away from here.

My legs felt extremely weak.

My head was spinning.

Everything was unclear to me. I was scared out of my mind and I was panicking. I just kept sprinting as hard as I could until my lungs screamed for air.

I slowed down eventually, my hands landing on my knees as I attempted to catch my breath. The palms of my hands stung, I flipped them over to reveal several tiny cuts that also ran up most of my forearm. I had obviously tried to break my fall by extending out my arms.

The world gradually slowed down, and I began to realize Nick hadn't followed me.

I began to realize that I was horrifically alone and everything was far too silent.

My mind instantly began to panic; but I drew some more deep breaths to compose myself. I was just being stupid and paranoid.

 _"I cannot freak out right now."_

Scared out of my mind, I began to shiver slightly. A cold wind blew across the cornfield, rustling the large stalks.

 _"There's something else here."_

Paranoia began to kick in, I was suddenly spinning around in circles, constantly looking over my shoulder, fearing a hunter or a smoker is hiding in the crops. I reached round my back for my gun, but I felt the soft fabric of my t-shirt instead.

 _"I don't have any weapons."_

I must've lost it when I got hit by the tank. I mentally kicked myself for being such an idiot and not picking it up again. Feeling incredibly alone, I stepped back. Spinning around, I felt surrounded by a hidden threat.

Not knowing what else to do, I resorted to basic human reactions when it senses it's in danger.

Fight or flight. And I couldn't exactly fight.

I began sprinting again, no direction in mind. Just away from _there._ My breaths became more short and ragged, feeling absolutely terrified. It felt like something was chasing me but I didn't dare to turn around. Everything is an enemy. Everything is trying to kill me.

I had always felt confident when I had the three with me, knowing they had my back, but now that I was alone, I was scared out of my senses. Anything and everything could kill me now. It was open season.

I heard noises all around me. I am going to die. I am going to die in a cornfield in the middle of fucking nowhere.

Light. There was light in the not-so-far distance. I forced my legs to carry me, as much as they wanted to buckle under the exhaustion.

I burst out of the cornfield, and hopped the rickety wooden fence. I was now in a wide open field. I suddenly missed the cover of the corn stalks.

I was now feeling the full effect of the icy gusts, goosebumps appearing along my arms. I shivered again and rubbed my forearms, trying to contract temporary heat. I had no idea where I was or where my friends were. I took in my surroundings, the darkening grey sky above me only served in enhancing my worry. I could see the smoke from the fire Rochelle had caused but I had no immediate desire to go back into the cornfield.

The only sound besides the chilly wind blowing across the vast plot of land was a lone crow, cawing rather irritatingly for some reason. I picked up a rock and launched it at the scarecrow it was perched on. It took off in a gust of black feathers and even louder caws.

I cursed under my breath and desperately scanned around me for anything else. I spotted what looked like a farmhouse over the next hedge. Not seeing anywhere else of value to explore, I began to stroll over in its direction.

The overturned soil was soft and I sank into it, dirt and pebbles spilling into my work boots. It was physically strenuous to walk through and I found myself wiping sweat from my brow before I was even halfway through the field.

There was a gate which was around up to my chest, it led into the farmhouse. A barn sat beside the structure, its red lick of paint chipping off due to time. I clambered over the fence with ease and began strolling right for the house, just wanting temporary shelter.

Then I remembered I was weaponless and I had no idea what was here.

I slowly dropped down and began creeping through the property. I spotted a woodpile out of the corner of my eye and threaded over to it, eyeing the axe that was lodged into the wedge of firewood.

I managed to pull it out with a bit of pulling and I inspected the weapon, the handle looked worn out but the blade looked like it was sharpened not too long ago. It wouldn't be enough to survive for long but it was surely better than nothing.

 _"It'll have to do, I guess."_

I decided to search the barn first, the large doors were already ajar. I crept up to it and peered in slowly, my axe ready to swing at anything on the other side.

Hay bales, a pitchfork, an ancient looking tractor, the smell of sawdust, but no zombies.

I released a breath of relief and sat myself down on one of the hay bales, appreciating a small moment of respite. My body was beaten and exhausted. Everything hurt, but I was no stranger to this feeling. I had nothing to ease the pain with.

 _"I need a plan."_

I strummed through my brain for any ideas. I needed to find a gun if I wanted any chance of survival, an old axe wouldn't be enough. I then needed to locate my friends. After that, was beyond my thoughts for the moment.

I gazed back up at the farmhouse. It was on a slight hill, situated on higher ground then the barn. It was a strategically easy place to hold out in, for a night at least. My stomach growled quite audibly.

 _"I hope it has food."_

I couldn't remember the last time I had a full stomach, probably before the infection broke out. I patted my belly and grinned slightly. I wondered what happened to Nick, as he was in combat with a tank when I last saw him. I couldn't help but worry.

 _"Nick can take care of himself, calm down man."_

I rubbed some dirt on my hands onto my mustard t-shirt and sighed. Getting to my feet, I stretched my back and heard a quiet pop. I began to make my way towards the farmhouse.

My legs were still sore from a day of running and I welcomed the chance of some sleep with open arms. I sauntered through the white-picket gate and up the small slope to the front door. I stopped momentarily and glanced down at a rosebed, spotting the wilted flowers, dead from neglect.

 _"That about sums up this crappy apocalypse."_

Suddenly, the front door smashed open, revealing a young woman in a red jacket with a rifle trained at me. The steely look on her face told me she was most likely going to kill me.

I completely froze. My axe was at the ready but there was no way I could win this debacle. I knew well she would shoot me if I moved a single muscle.

There was no other sound besides our breathing. Hers were shaky and quick, perhaps hinting that she was just as scared as I was. I gazed up at her, she had dark brown hair tied up in a ponytail. I couldn't help but think that this girl was actually very attractive. Her green eyes glared down at me, I felt myself cowering under her stare.

The woman that was about to kill me was rather gorgeous actually.

I literally had to be the only person left on this earth that would think of something like this before they die. I shook the thoughts out of my head and just glanced back at her, trying to look at her with a straight face.

"What are you doing here?!" She hissed in a hushed tone.

 _A/N: So, what do you think? I will try and update as soon as I can. Thank you so much for reading! R &R please!_

 _Much love._


	2. Chapter 2

_First off, I would like to thank everyone so much for the lovely reviews! It was really nice to read over them! I appreciate it so much!_

 _Work sucks. This took a while to do but I wrote a draft and then proof read it and then added some more stuff so it's a long process, I hope you can understand O.o_

 _Please R &R! Much love my darlings!_

 **Chapter 2:**

Seeing another live human being had shocked me completely to my core. But it wasn't a familiar face. I kept my rifle trained on him, knowing full well that this intruder was probably here to rob the house. But the look on his face told a completely different story. He looked bewildered and shaken.

This man was terrified of me.

I grimaced and stared him down, trying my best to come off as intimidating, a difficult feat for someone of my size and look. There was an icy silence lingering, both of us waiting for the other to try something. I studied his questionable expression some more.

 _"He's just as scared as I am."_

I tried to halt my ragged breathing, attempting to compose myself so I could actually think about what I was doing. I decided saying something to the intruder would be smarter than just staring at him.

"What are you doing here?!" My voice seemed a few octaves too high, making myself come off as slightly vulnerable. I cleared my throat after but regretted it, coming off as quite feeble.

The man remained frozen to the spot, just gawking up at me with wide eyes. A chilly wind blew across the the farmyard, blowing my stray bangs across my face. I shivered and glared back at the young man, appearing unfazed.

"I-I-I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't know there was anyone here." He responded, clearly scared out of his mind. His voice had an unmissable southern twang, his stuttering voice gave me some confidence that he was genuinely frightened. This man wasn't trying to rob or hurt me, he was actually rather harmless, from his appearance anyway. I couldn't let myself trust him. He must have seen the expression on my face soften as he took a step forward.

I instantly had my rifle back on him before he could proceed any further.

"Back off." I spat viciously. The man immediately retracted back two steps, his eyes as wide as saucers. He looked like a kicked puppy. I kept the rifle aimed right at him, not giving him the impression that he was welcome here. As bad as I felt, I had to hold my own and keep away from other people. I have to find my friends.

"S-sorry, I'm not going to try anythin', honestly miss." He tried to reason with me. As much as I wanted to believe him, I simply couldn't. It wasn't worth the risk. Especially now that I was alone out here. I never began to fathom the chances of running into another survivor, but now that I had, I was clueless about how to actually deal with the situation.

I chose to remain silence and keep my stare on the man, who seemed to be wilting away underneath it. From the way he was acting, I doubted this guy would hurt a fly. I was in control. I had the upper hand. I lowered my rifle again and listened intently.

"Listen miss, I got separated from my friends and I have no idea where I am. I only got this axe to protect myself." He gestured the tool in his hands at me, I simply nodded and waited for him to continue, curious to see what he was getting at.

"I don't have any food or a place to stay, and it doesn't exactly look like there's many more people around here." He began to explain as I cocked an eyebrow at him, confused as to what he exactly wanted.

It made no sense to me how there was another person out here, in the middle of nowhere. This man could be anyone, he could be trying to rob me, but he looked friendly enough looks wise. But I couldn't let my guard down at any cost.

"I-I was just thinking, could I stay here for the night. Just one night, and then I'm gone! I promise." He pleaded me. I scoffed at him in slight disbelief. He couldn't be serious.

"Do you honestly expect me to let a complete stranger stay with me for a whole night?" I asked him rhetorically, a sour tone on my voice. I was a little bit surprised he even had to nerve to ask me. The man shrugged hesitantly and pouted ever so slightly, with something I would have called the smallest smile I've ever seen.

"Ummm, I'm hopin' yes?"

I shot him a questioning glance, which he replied to with a nervous chuckle. I couldn't let him in, as much as I wanted to. I couldn't trust him, as much as the illusion he was setting on me was that he was completely harmless. I just couldn't do it. I had to find Francis and Louis and I didn't have time for this guy and his problems. I had to say no.

"I won't survive a night out here by myself. Please, I'll die if I stay out here." He pleaded to me again. That remark had caught my attention, my human empathy coming was coming back to bite me in the ass.

I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose, I couldn't leave this guy out here. I couldn't let somebody else die. Bill would've and he had done it, much to my disgust, but I couldn't do anything like that. It just wasn't right. I couldn't let let another survivor perish because of my actions. I couldn't let another person die, as much as my mind screamed at me to.

I gave a heavy sigh and accepted defeat.

"I want you gone by the morning. And if you try anything funny, I will _not_ hesitate in shooting you." I warned, His face instantly lit up as he began to stroll up the steps to me.

"Don't worry ma'am, you can trust me." He beamed as he gave me a wide grin.

 _"We'll see about that."_

 **/**

For the past few days I've been hold up in the house, I've been trying to keep myself busy with mundane tasks and large amounts of aimless pacing. Lots upon lots of thinking. Planning really, trying to figure out how I'll find and save Francis and Louis, get away from the apocalypse and not die from starvation or zombies in the meantime. Now that the man who had formally introduced himself as Ellis (With the option of calling him 'El' but he wasn't really a fan of that name.) was here with me for the night, I found myself acting rather awkwardly.

I had kept my pistol in my holster for safety regulations, my rifle was placed by the door, and I was trying to both keep a close eye on Ellis and the perimeter of the house. I found myself acting strangely as he sat rather relaxed on a worn out armchair in the living room. I would often forget what I was meant to be doing and find out that I had been wandering the house in circles, much to my confusion.

I had little to no food to offer Ellis, the few scraps of things I handed to him he took without question but a sincere 'thank you'. I had insisted he call me Zoey, but he would often call me 'ma'am' or 'miss' out of courtesy. Ellis was a mannerly guy, but nonetheless, I didn't drop my guard around him. Manners don't matter shit during the end of the world.

I was petrified that Ellis was going to, at any moment, jump up and attack me. Whenever he so much as moved suddenly, I flinched and an instinctive hand clasped onto my pistol. Ellis saw this and reassured me he had nothing but good intentions and that he was nothing but grateful that she had let him in. I wanted to believe him, I really did, but I had gone full survival mode now that I was separated from my friends, and I just couldn't take the chance in trusting the freakishly trustworthy Ellis.

The grey sky was now darkening into a torrid black and I found a level of fear rising in my chest. Night was coming, the infected now had the upper hand with the darkness.

This stupid farmhouse had very little electronics to offer, a few dim lights, but nothing else. There was no running water here either, that being the first thing I checked when I arrived at the house.

 _"I really need a shower."_

My clothes for filthy with dirt, brains and blood, both my own and infected. My hair was brittle and tangled, much to my deep frustration. I felt and looked like a complete wreck.

I gazed over at Ellis, only to see he was already gawking back at me. He whipped his head back and I noticed slight colour in his cheeks. I had to stifle a chuckle at his shyness.

 _"Perhaps he isn't going to kill me."_

Still, I couldn't take any chances. I had to keep an eye on him at all times.

"So, how did ya end up here Zoey?" Ellis questioned to kill the comfortable silence that had shrouded over us unknowingly. I found it odd he was trying to spark a conversation with me.

 _"Oh great. I have to explain to him how I lost my friends."_

"Umm, I just came across it and decided to stay here for the time being." I lied. And badly. But from the small nod of his head, I presumed he bought it or he didn't want to pry any further.

"How did you end up here?" I asked after, not knowing what else to say. He mulled over my question for a minute and sighed quietly to himself.

"I got separated from my friends. I just ran until I arrived at 'tis place and well... Ya know the rest." He mumbled in a rather quieter tone to his usual bright, optimistic voice. I had completely forgotten he had mentioned missing friends, and I felt a little guilty because of it, knowing somewhat what he was going through.

"Where are you from?" He queried a little too quickly, I noticed it straight away. His friends were a sore subject for him as they were for me, but he still brought them up to me instead of lying.

"Up north. Pennsylvania." I answered. I had come a long way from there since the infection broke out and I had no intentions to go back anytime soon. There was nothing for me up there anymore except death and pain.

"Pennsylvania? Shit, you been seeing the sights along the east coast this whole time?" Ellis joked with a smirk. It was odd to me that he would be cracking jokes with me when he barely knew who I was. I laughed dryly and nodded.

"I suppose I was. What about yourself?"

"Savannah, Georgia. Ya could prob'bly tell from my accent." He remarked. I grinned and shrugged. "It's a little evident."

Ellis let out a hearty chuckle. It's been so long since I've heard genuine laughter that it almost sounds alien to my ears. He smiled over at me. Glancing into my eyes, making me feel a little bit uneasy for some reason.

I couldn't help hide the smile that crept onto my face either.

 _A/N: So that's chapter 2! I hope you enjoyed it!_

 _Reviews are appreciated soooooo much._


	3. Chapter 3

_I have been playing a lot of Left 4 Dead recently (More than I usually would), especially the campaigns set outside of cities and towns. For example, Blood Harvest and Hard Rain, to try and get a better understanding of the ambience and the horror-style vibe it sets (And sets brilliantly I might add). Hopefully, you might see hints of it in this chapter._

 _What?! A long chapter? Written by me? It can't be! I never write long chapters! I've obviously been kidnapped and replaced by a doppelganger who can actually write a half decent story O.o_

 _Please R &R! (Reviews are love)_ _Much love, my darlings!_

 **Chapter 3:**

Light.

Piercing light flaring into my slightly ajar eyelids. I clumsily try and shield my scorched eyes from the intruding beams, which were streaming through the slightly open curtains on the opposite wall to the bed. A steady hand blocking the source did the trick.

My surroundings gradually became clearer to me. I was residing in a comfortable looking bedroom, my cap was resting on the oak-finished bedside table, my coveralls strudley disregarded onto the floor, my boots were neatly placed at the foot of the bed, the dry mud caked onto them, like an engravement into the material at this stage. Framed paintings were hung up on all the walls, depicting sunsets and fields full of daisies.

I huffed out a irked breath, not exactly content with my rude awakening. I sat up in the king-sized bed and yawned deeply, stretching my back until I heard an audible pop. I contemplated getting up, knowing well that Rochelle would probably want me to help her with-

 _"Wait a minute."_

It all started to come back to me. She was gone. Nick was gone. Coach was gone.

I was alone alone out in the middle of nowhere.

Well, I wasn't exactly _alone._ Zoey was with me. And Holy God, was I _grateful_ about that.

I flopped back down onto the bed, the pillows catching my dreary head. I thought about the young woman again, who from the look of her, was rather close to my age, as if that even mattered anymore. Speaking about the look of her, she was _gorgeous._

I know it isn't a suitable time to be thinking about such things but I honestly couldn't help it. Her beauty stunned me whenever I captured a glimpse of her, the bruises and cuts that aligned around her angelic face only gave me confidence that she was more than capable at looking after herself, which was already very apparent to me from the moment I laid eyes on her.

 _"Well in all fairness, she did have a high powered rifle on me when I first met her."_

But I had talked to her from time to time last night, small talk mostly. I wasn't going to try and force any personal details out of a girl I was going to depart far too soon for my liking. I was actually pretty distraught about leaving her, but convinced myself that she would be perfectly fine on her own, but I was actually more worried about my own safety.

I had never been alone since the infection broke out. Sure, I have _felt_ alone, but I have never been physically alone. Now, I have been separated from my friends, running away senseless and scared. I then had the luck of running right to Zoey, an amazing independent woman who fascinated me more and more with every little thing I found out about her.

But this would also be short lived. She granted me one night at the house before I had to leave, I promised her that and I wasn't going to go back on my word.

 _"I have to soldier on by myself."_

I desperately wanted to stay with her, both out of fear of being alone out in the dangerous wild and out of desire for this girl. Nick had always ranted on to me about how I always brought things up in the most unsuitable of times, I would constantly, almost unconsciously, ramble on about wild escapades with Keith back in Savannah to try and lighten the mood when hunkering down for the night or whenever we are swiftly recuperating in a safehouse, but any attempt is usually shut down vigorously. I knew that I always did weird things in the most unusual of times, but formulating a crush on a girl who introduced herself by pointing a rifle in my face?

I was even feeling stupid about it.

But was it unreasonable? Zoey was a remarkable woman. A type of person I've never met before, on either side of the apocalypse. In the short amount of time I had spent with her, I had grown smitten with the girl, even with the little amount of information I had collected about her.

I tried not to care, but I couldn't help it. She amazed me, looks and personality. Well, what I had collected of her personality anyway.

I rolled back over in the bed, sighing in frustration. Thinking that _'I have to be the only person who could get a crush on somebody during the end of the world.'_ But I confirmed it with myself. This girl had me head over heels in one awkward night of small bursts of interaction and hopeless chatting.

Never knowing a man could be more nervous around a girl, I was constantly halting myself from stuttering like an idiot. Every once in awhile, my speech would simply freeze and I would be left bewildered in what to say. She gave me, if I didn't know any better, what I would've called an amused grin whenever I did. Hopefully meaning she found it humorous rather than idiotic.

Zoey had insisted on taking watch. I could tell she still didn't trust me and for reasons that I had recently figured out, it honestly hurt a little. Then again, I couldn't just expect her to trust me as if she had known me for years in one night. It was only natural. Apocalypse or not. Especially in the apocalypse, actually. She showed me to the bedroom and wished me goodnight, before sauntering back down the stairs and leaving me in deep thought for the night, wishing to talk to her more but knowing it would seem odd to her and decided to just drop it.

 _"I should probably get up now."_

I groaned, and lifted my sore legs out of the layers of blankets and swung them over the bed. I rose to my feet, rubbing the blur out of my eyes. I yawned again, and began getting my things together.

 **/**

Now back in my usual, filthy attire, I crept down the dark oak stairs gently, gripping the dusty banister for support. Hearing no noise, I figured that Zoey was in a different room. Reaching the bottom of the staircase, I strolled into the living room to find it empty.

I couldn't help but feel a shred of panic in my chest.

 _"Quit worryin' Ellis, she's probably just in a different room."_

I maneuvered my stiff legs into the kitchen.

Silence.

No sign of her.

I walked into the lounge.

Silence.

No sign of her.

I scurried into the small pantry. My pace hurrying.

Dead silence.

No sign of her.

My breathing started to fasten, the balloon-like feeling in my chest starting to escalate. Where has she gone off to? Has she left because of me? No. No, no, no. I had to calm down. I had to stop panicking.

 _"Calm down Ellis. Get your shit together. Breathe."_

I inhale a few deep breaths, composing myself from this unnecessary and unreasonable panic. She's obviously around somewhere. I had to stop being so ridiculous.

Creeping through the pristine, untouched house, marvelling how undamaged it was by the chaos of the modern day. This place seemed remote from all of the recent bullshit, it was a little pocket of normality, a little part of the world that wasn't bloody or vicious or ruined.

It sort of reminded me of my own home, all that distance away in Savannah.

Delicate antiques filled the shelves on the walls, framed photographs sitting upright, showing a smiling elderly couple, a potted plot or two decorating the main hall, making me wonder how some this place was so well preserved from the destruction of the infection. It made no sense to me.

My ears instantly perked to the sound of what I could only call a groan in the other room.

It didn't sound intelligible, so I instantly feared the worst. Tiptoeing into the front hall, I grabbed my axe which I had left at the front door. My sweaty palms grasped the handle of the axe, I flipped the weapon over so the sharp end was facing away from me and I proceeded to slowly creep into the dining room, the last room in the downstairs I didn't check.

Fear had me near paralyzed, finding my body acting rather unresponsive. Forcing myself forward, I managed to reach the door of the living room, prepping myself for whatever was in there.

 _"Just jump in and swing at whatever lunges at you."_

I inhaled what I hoped wouldn't be my last breath.

I leapt from behind the wall and into the doorway, my axe ready to swing at the moment's notice, my muscles ready to send the weapon in my arms flying.

Nothing. There was nothing in here.

Except a small figure in a red jacket lying motionless with its' head on the grand table.

 _"Zoey"._

Feeling very stupid for getting myself worked up, I laid the axe down against the wall and strolled over to the girl, checking if she was alright and breathing. I let out a sigh of relief at seeing her rise and fall slowly in steady respiration.

The poor girl must have passed out. She was most likely as tired as I was. I should have offered to take over watch and let her sleep.

Feeling selfish, I just gazed at her, letting her rest for a few more minutes. Marvelling her perfect face, her delicate frame, her cuts and bruises that I imagined there was a story behind each injury, I just simply watched her sleep. She stirred again, muttering and groaning unconsciously. The poor girl was probably having nightmares. I felt a small nothing but pity for her. I can only imagine what she's been through.

Deciding that waking her up would be the best course of action, I softly nudged her elbow with my hand, trying to wake her as gently as I could.

"Zoey." I softly whispered, leaning down to her level.

Her eyes snapped open suddenly.

Her two hands latched themselves onto my left forearm with an iron grip.

The terrified look in her eyes made me feel awful. She didn't know what was going on. She glowered up at me, paralyzed in fear, tugging my arm with her hands.

"What am I- where am- who are-

"Zoey, it's me. It's Ellis." I hoped she remembered who I was and that I wasn't a threat.

Her hands let go of my arm.

She blinked her eyelids a few times before glancing up at me again, a hint of terror still noticeable in her green emeralds. I heard a heavy breath escape her lips before she put her head into her hands. I stood there, not having the slightest clue as to what to do.

She nodded and glared up at me again, I tried to put on a comforting smile but her expression didn't change whatsoever. I rubbed the back of my neck and chuckled nervously.

"Nightmare?" I guessed accurately.

She nodded in response.

"Yeah, I have a few of those every once in awhile. Shit, we're pretty much in a living nightmare." I rambled on, not knowing what I was entirely getting at.

She nodded in response again, probably too shaken to even speak. All I wanted to do was to tell her that everything is alright and that she is the most amazing girl I have ever seen.

Of course, I couldn't do that.

I started to get the feeling that I wasn't wanted, and I realized that she most likely wanted me to leave her alone. Grimacing, I stood up and cracked my knuckles, making my way to the door.

"Well, I figure I should leave now, considering that was the deal and all." I muttered, picking up my axe with one hand. I saw her expression change to a look I couldn't quite decipher.

"You-you're going?" She questioned shakily. I nodded.

"One night, remember? I ain't gonna try and go back on my word or anything." I said, trying to avoid eye contact with her.

"Ellis, you don't have to-

"Nah, it's okay Zoey. I have to look for my friends and you said I could stay for one night, so I best be on my way." I stated, looking down at the floor. This was harder than I thought it would be.

"Ellis." She called out, I instantly spun around.

She was on her feet now, halfway across the room to me.

"It's too dangerous to be out there by yourself." She exclaimed, a weird look in her eyes. I nearly burst at her words.

 _"Is she sayin' what I think she's sayin'?_

"Stick with me for a bit. I'll help you find your friends and you can help me find mine. We'll both die if we go our separate ways. After that, you can do what you want."

 _"No goddamn way."_

"Wait, you never said anything about friends." I questioned, more out of sudden curiosity than anything else.

"I'll explain later." She swiftly added, I knew not to pry any further so I left it.

I had to be the happiest man alive in the apocalypse. I honestly had no intentions of this happening but now it seems like the best thing that could have happened to me right now.

 _"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes."_

"That sounds like a good idea, actually." I quickly answered, my mind was in overdrive. I expected to be kicked back out onto the road at this stage. I had to show her that I was a helpful person to have around, meaning I have to pull my own weight around here.

"So.. it's a deal?" She gave me what I would have called the sweetest smile I had ever seen on a girl. Anywhere.

Did she honestly ever expect me to say no?

"You got yourself a deal, ma'am." I grinned in return.

My luck has finally returned.

 _A/N: So... Did you like it?_

 _Don't forget to R &R! Love you all!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Summer has come to a close, which is just about the worst thing ever. Goodbye sun, it was fun while it lasted._

 _Work sucks, as usual. Trying to write whenever I have the chance (Not regularly) but I try hard to update as soon as possible for you guys._

 _I once again have to thank you guys for the wonderful reviews, it makes my day to read them._

 _Anyway, on with the chapter._

 **Chapter 4:**

The chilly air blew fiercely across the open meadow, sending goosebumps down the back of my neck and causing my defiant bangs to sway across my face. Ellis was ahead of me, axe in hand, keeping an eye out for something.

 _Anything._

I had now began to slightly regret my actions this morning, I mean, Ellis isn't a bad guy to be around or anything. In fact, I could have run into someone _far_ worse than him, but I can't afford get too close to him at the same time. When we both find our friends, I hope he'll take the obligation of going our separate paths. But of course, I screwed it up.

I may have just gotten myself into something very bad.

It was just a spur of the moment suggestion, in my half-conscience state, I had offered Ellis to stay with me instead of leaving, which we had originally negotiated. I had unknowingly drifted off to sleep last night, from pure exhaustion. I hadn't slept in two full days before that out of fear. Fear that something would kill me during the night.

But I had passed out and was welcomed back into the dark realms of my own mind. Nightmares plagued my sleep again, I visioned all my friends were dead because of me. I sighed as I began to recall my dream.

They were all dead. All of my friends, gone. And it was all my fault. Their bloody corpses lay in front of me and I couldn't take the pain anymore.

I just couldn't take it.

Then, Ellis woke me up. I was scared out of my mind and afraid of being alone, I stopped caring about the deal I had with him, I just wanted someone to be with me so I wouldn't be alone and frightened again. So I wouldn't have to face every waking moment of every day by myself. Me against the world.

I somewhat foolishly offered for him to stick with me for a while, taking back our previous offer in an instance. I just needed someone with me, needed some reassurance that someone was watching my back. I had to convince myself that Ellis was a person I could trust, which was a rather simple task due to his, at times, overbearing friendliness. But it was quite amusing nonetheless, to say the least. It has been a long time since I've seen someone as happy as this man, and it is rather refreshing, to say the least.

It's like he takes me back to before the outbreak, when laughing and fun were an ordinary day thing. I took that life for granted.

I missed TV.

"Hey, I think I see a car off in the distance." Ellis hollered over at me, picking up the pace which had disintegrated to a careful walk. I followed him closely, the grip on my rifle tightening.

I began to catch a glimpse of something bright white over the tall grass. I tried to stand on my tippie toes to get a better view.

"It's a cop car!" Ellis remarked, gawking down a the vehicle. It had been crashed into a surprisingly deep ditch. I wondered what it was doing out here in a field.

Ellis began to carefully trudge down the slope as I covered his descent, watching the other side of the trench.

He peered in through the window before nodding at me, opening the door and kneeling into it. My eyes fixated themselves on the opposite side, knowing anything could just jump down on him.

Ellis clambered back out of the car, a wide smile on his face.

"Look at this shit!" He called over to me, producing a chrome-coloured shotgun, aiming down the sights and pretending to shoot it. I grinned back at his childish antiques and shook my head.

"Is there any shells in there?" I asked as he ducked back into the vehicle.

"I'll check now."

I sighed and gazed over my shoulder, the wind brushing against the grass startling me a little. I didn't like being out in the open.

"Hey, I think I found some-

A horrifying screech rang out in the air, jolting me into action. But before I could even look at my surroundings, something knocked me onto my back. My rifle dropped out of my hands as I desperately tried to defend myself from my hooded attacker, trying to swat away his attacks. His stench was repulsive.

I let out a cry as I felt something sharp drive into my ribcage. Searing, hot pain exploded in my torso. I managed to get an arm free and throw a fist at the infecteds' face, connecting with some force. It yelped rather pathetically as it fell back, but instantly jumped up onto it's hind legs, like the animal it had become. It began to crawl slowly over to me, growling viciously as I tried to escape.

I scrambled wildly backwards, not knowing what else to do. But the Hunter launched another devastating assault before I could reach my gun. It grabbed my upper leg, sharp claws digging into the flesh, and dragged my back towards it, as if it was toying with me.

I simply closed my eyes and braced as I waited for another flurry of slashes, but it never came.

Instead, I heard a powerful crack, and an odd sizzling sound.

I opened my eyes to the sight of Ellis pulling my attackers' corpse off of me.

"Ah shit Zoey, I'm really sorry. Are you alright? Did it get you? Shit, I'm sorry." Ellis gushed out, checking me over. The left side of my torso burned with agonizing pain, I felt incredibly weak.

"Damn it. You're bleeding." He stated as he knelt down beside me, inspecting my wound.

"Y-yeah, he caught me right there." I managed to reply, trying not to scream at the pain. Ellis grimaced and grabbed my hand, putting it over the wound.

"Bastard nicked you in the leg too. Shit Zoey, I'm really sorry." He repeated, but I was barely listening. Everything seemed far too distant.

"We gotta get back to the house and get you fixed."

I nodded feebly as he pulled me to my feet with ease. I hissed as soon as I put some weight on my injured leg, Ellis jumping over to my side and pulling my arm around him, allowing me to use him for support.

"You keep pressure on the wound, okay? We're gotta get back." I nodded again in response, but barely heard what he said after that. I presumed it to be optimistic rambling, trying to keep me positive.

But everything was too blurry. I felt too weak. The screaming pain in my body was unbearable.

 _"Am I about to die?"_

 _"After everything I've been through, I'm gonna die now. Here. Today."_

 _"But what about Bill? Francis? Louis? What about them?"_

 _"I can't die without knowing what happened to them."_

 _"Fucking Hunters. Fucking zombies. Fucking death. Fucking piece of shit world."_

"I can't believe today is the day I die."

"Don't say that, Zoey. You're not gonna die. I promise you." Ellis reassured me. I hadn't even realized that I had started talking aloud.

The pain was unbearable. Blood seeped out through my fingers. Every breath was agony.

This was it.

"Ellis?" I barely whispered. He gazed down at me with concerned eyes.

"Yeah?"

 _"I'm going to die."_

"E-Ellis."

"Zoey?"

"I'm sorry."

I closed my eyes.

 **/**

Warmth wasn't what I expected to wake up to.

Waking up was something I didn't expect.

But sure enough, my eyelids fluttered open to a rather comfortable scenario. I was lying on a couch, a thin blanket draped over me and a slight stinging in my ribcage. The room was hazy and dark.

 _"How am I not dead? Am I where I think I am?"_

I attempted to sit it slowly, but my body immediately disagreed with the action and I deadpanned back down onto the soft cushion of the couch.

"Woah, take it easy there. You probably shouldn't be getting up right now."

I was slightly startled by the words but I snapped my head towards the sound and saw the mustard t-shirt and the wide smile sitting on a chair pulled over beside me and quickly figured who it was.

"How are ya feelin'?" Ellis questioned. I gazed down at my body, noticing my red jacket was gone, and there was bandages all around my entire torso, I lifted up the blanket to see the same on my leg.

"I'm sore but alive."

"That's the important thing."

"I'm alive thanks to you." I said, glancing up at him. He turned a deep shade of red and looked down at the ground, shrugging.

"Yeah, I- uh, I guess I did." He awkwardly muttered back to me.

"How did you save me? Last I remember I was as good as dead." I asked, sitting up slightly.

"I carried you back here and found some things lying around and I just tried my damndest to fix ya, I guess." He mumbled, clearly trying to avoid eye contact.

I honestly couldn't begin to fathom why he would go to such effort to save a person he didn't know. I was grateful, sure, but at the same time bewildered that he would try save a complete stranger. I knew he was a kind person but this was beyond kind.

"Why? Why did you save me?" I pryed, sounding a bit strange to myself. Ellis gawked at me with wide eyes, looking almost shocked.

"Why did I save you?"

"Yeah."

"Because..."

He paused momentarily.

"Because why would I let you die? You've given me a place to stay and some food to eat when you barely had anything yourself. If you hadn't let me in, I would be dead myself. Think of it as me repayin' the favor."

I was slightly taken aback by his answer. A man that I initially thought was a threat had saved my life.

I could count myself lucky that I ran into Ellis.

"Thank you Ellis. Seriously, thank you." I tried to sound as sincere as possible, to try and notify him of my genuine appreciation for his actions. I was in his debt.

"It's nothing really. Saved my buddy Keiths' life all the time kinda thought me about some basic maneuvers. And some recent experiences." He grinned again. I laughed loudly and relaxed into the couch.

"Now, I'mma let you rest. You need anything else before I go?" He asked as he sat up, I shook my head.

"Okay, I'll keep watch for tonight. Goodnight Zoey."

"Goodnight Ellis. And thanks again."

He shot a grin back at me. I found it to be quite infectious.

"Don't worry about." He stated, before strolling out of the room.

He left me with a lot of thoughts racing in my head. Ellis was a good guy, a really good guy. I had really misread him for who he was. The world needed more good guys.

With the assurance that I was safe from the outside world, for the first time in a while, I gently drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face.

 _A/N: Sorry about the long wait. Been busy with all sorts of boring stuff._

 _Don't forget to R &R! Much love to you all!_


End file.
